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This is a very late check-in to see how I got on with my three New Year’s Resolutions in March (see this post for the full explanation of my New Year’s Resolutions).

Here is how I got on with my resolutions in March:

1) Write more – I was aiming for at least 250 words a day and I managed to do that every day in March – awesome! In total I wrote 9632 words which is an average of 321 words per day.

2) Improve my cooking skills – Haven’t done a lot for this resolution in March. Must do better in April.

3) Read 25 books – I finished A Dance with Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust (part of the Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series) on 23rd March. So at the end of March I have read 4/25 books, which Goodreads tells me makes me 16% through my challenge.

In order to keep me motivated to achieve my New Year Resolutions I decided to do a monthly check-in post, as close to the last day of the month as I can. In this check-in post I will monitor how well I am doing with my three New Year’s Resolutions (see this post for my full explanation of my New Year’s Resolutions).

Here is how I got on with my resolutions in February:

1) Write more – I was aiming for at least 250 words a day and I managed to do that every day in February – hurray! In total I wrote 8735 words which is an average of 312 words per day.

2) Improve my cooking skills – In February I was experimenting with roasting vegetables (parsnips, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes) to see which I preferred. I also cooked a version of the vegetable lasagne (using a different recipe than the one I used in January) and it worked out pretty well. I even served it to actual people who said they enjoyed it! Hurray again. I will try to post the recipe soon.

3) Read 25 books – I read More Than This (click here for my review) by Patrick Ness in early February for my book group and I have been trying to read A Dance with Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust (part of the Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series) for the past few weeks. So at the end of February I have read 3/25 books, which Goodreads tells me makes me 12% through my challenge.

In order to keep me motivated to achieve my New Year Resolutions I have decided that I will do a monthly check-in post, as close to the last day of the month as I can. In this check-in post I will monitor how well I am doing with my three New Year’s Resolutions (see this post for my full explanation of my New Year’s Resolutions), as well as mentioning anything of note that I’ve achieved in that month.

Here is how I got on with my resolutions in January:

1) Write more – I was aiming for at least 250 words a day and I managed to do that every day, except one, in January. So 30/31 days were successful and in total I wrote 9202 words which is an average of 297 words per day.

2) Improve my cooking skills – I tried several new recipes in January. Not all of them worked perfectly (I may write more about that at a later date) but I know that the only way to improve a skill is by practise.

A recipe that I tried that worked out well was: Chicken tikka masala

A recipe that I felt needed more work was: Vegetable lasagne (which tasted yum but looked a bit of a mess)

3) Read 25 books – I read Let It Snow (click here for my review) at the beginning of January and I finished A Feast For Crows (part of the Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series) yesterday. So I have read 2/25 books, which Goodreads tells me makes me 8% through my challenge.

Are they helpful? Will they inspire you to achieve your goals? Or will you try your hardest throughout January, give it a good go in February and then lapse back to old habits come March (if not sooner)?

I usually make a list of about ten or so resolutions for the year. And I usually end up forgetting all about them after a few months; the piece of paper I wrote them on lost somewhere in one of my many notebooks.

So this year I have decided to keep things simple. I will focus on a few resolutions that I really want to achieve and by narrowing my focus I hope to have a higher level of success.

So, my New Year’s Resolutions for 2014 are:

1) Write more – write at least 250 words of fiction every day. Blog at least once a month (but ideally once a week).

2) Improve my cooking skills – at the moment they are pretty basic. I tend to stick to the same quick and easy meals as, due to a long commute, I often wouldn’t get home until late. Now my commute is shorter I would really love to be more adventurous and try different things.

3) Read 25 books.

There we are then – let’s see how I get on.

Does anyone else have any New Year’s Resolutions they would like to share?